Lady Martins Bath and Sassafras Gully Walk – 20 May 2021

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Dave Noble

I was out on a bushwalk with Bob. We had planned to do a walk from Faulconbridge, but we first visited Lady Martins Bath at Linden. This was easy to visit, we turned off the highway at Martin Place and then took a side road on the right that went up to the water reservoir on top of a hill. This hill was the site of “Martins Folly”. It was where former Prime Minister (of NSW), Sir James Martin, started building a huge mansion. Early on, he either ran out of money or impetus and all that was built were foundations. I can remember seeing the foundations on a school history excursion back around 1970.  I think the sandstone foundations have been repurposed by the present landholders – as we could see none set in place.

From the water reservoir, we took a rough track down a short distance to a small overhang. Inside was Lady Martins Bath – a constructed pool fed by spring water. It was interesting to look at. Continue reading →

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Lane Cove River and Terrys Creek Walk – 19 May 2021

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Dave Noble

This was an enjoyable walk along part of the Lane Cove River from near the De Burgh Bridge to Browns Waterhole, and then out via Terrys Creek to Eastwood Station. To get to the start I caught a bus from Pymble Station and got off near the National Park Entrance.

I was pleased with the fungi I saw. In particular, I found the waxcaps that I think are Gliophorus psittacinus had appeared. Continue reading →

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Malabar Headland Visit – 18 May 2021

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Dave Noble

I had recently been doing a lot of fungi walks, and thought it about time to see some other environments. So I decided to visit Malabar Headland to see if the Peregrine falcons were found, see what other birds were in the area, and also to look for any passing whales.

I had a pleasant day. I had a brief glimpse of one Peregrine Falcon fly out from the cliffs and then fly away. It was too fast for me to get a photo, and I could not spot it perched on the cliffs in the direction it had flown. Continue reading →

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Wolli Ck Nature Walk – 17 May 2021

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Dave Noble

I was interested to see what fungi could be about along Wolli Ck. So I caught a bus to Bexley North and then walked down the Two Valleys Track – to Tempe and continued along it, up the Cooks River to Wardell R road and then walked home. It was a pleasant excursion – and I observed birds, flying foxes and fungi.

Spangled Drongo

First some of the fungi – Continue reading →

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Fungi in Sassafras Gully – 16 May 2021

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Dave Noble

After finding some great fungi out at Ferndale Park and Mill Ck, I was keen to have a look in other places around Sydney. This day I went to Springwood and went down Sassafras Gully. I entered via the track at the end of Sassafras Gully Road walked down to the gully and along eventually to Glenbrook Creek, then exited via the Wiggins Track.

I found a fair bit of nice fungi out. It is the time of the year when a lot of the colourful waxcaps start to appear – and I did find quite a few. Here are some – Continue reading →

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Fungi at Mill Ck – 15 May 2021

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Dave Noble

I was pleased to be able to attend the fungal survey at Mill Creek in Dharug National Park near the Hawkesbury River. It was organised by the Sydney Fungal Studies Group Inc. The fungi at Mill Ck can be variable in both quality and abundance. On the way, we found quite a lot of interesting fungi out.

Humidicutis helicoides

Also – the habitat at Mill Ck is different from the typical rainforest gullies of Sydney, so you often see different species than are often encountered. Continue reading →

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Fungi at Ferndale Park – 14 May 2021

Posted on May 24, 2021 by Dave Noble

After seeing plenty of amazing fungi in Tasmania, when I got back to Sydney, I thought it was time to check out some local sites to see what was out. My first visit was to Ferndale Park at Chatswood. It was a short afternoon trip – and I really needed more time. At this time of the year, it starts to get dark early, and it was quite gloomy at Ferndale Park not long after 3 pm. Not too dark for photography (I use a tripod), but too dark to spot of lot of fungi.

Nevertheless, what I did see was very nice. Continue reading →

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The Dooley Track – 12 May 2021

Posted on May 23, 2021 by Dave Noble

This was my last activity in Tasmania, and it was a bushwalk in North West Tasmania, along a track called the Dooley Track that goes along the Wilmot River. My sister Alicson and her husband Shane had both suggested the walk, being one that they had not done, and it was great that they organised it and were both able to come along.

The Wilmot River is a tributary of the Forth River which joins the coast not far to the east of Ulverstone. A track along the river was originally cut by James Dooley, a prospector, in 1859 after a gold rush in the upper Forth Valley. The Wilmot was seen as an easier, less rugged route and so Dooley cut a track along the river. Recently bushwalkers have looked for and found this old track and cleared it, added river crossings and alternative tracks making it an attractive bushwalking area. And particular credit must go to the late  Bill Shepherd, who initiated the project and seems to have done most of the work. You can read about the walks and their story on wilmotwalkingtracks.com. Continue reading →

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Fungi and Waterfalls – A Visit to Philosophers Falls – 11 May 2021

Posted on May 23, 2021 by Dave Noble

I had visited Philosophers Falls twice before, in April 2018 and June 2019, and it had been an outstanding place to find colourful fungi. So I was pleased that my sister proposed it as a trip for this day. The previous day had been an inside day – wet, cold and windy, so it was great to wake up to improved weather and then head out to Waratah and a short way beyond to Philosophers Falls.

It was a good omen at the carpark, to be welcomed by a beautiful Pink Robin. Continue reading →

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Fungi at Castra Falls – 9 May 2021

Posted on May 22, 2021 by Dave Noble

I was still in Tasmania enjoying the hospitality of my sister and brother in law at West Ulverstone. On a previous visit, we had been to Castra Falls, and I suggested that it could be good for another visit.

Like the previous day, some wet weather was forecast, but the rain seems to be patchy, so my sister and myself headed out to the Castra Falls Track. The track was built and maintained by a group of locals and it is a credit to them – it takes your through some really nice rainforest habitat. We only visited one section of the track near Silver Falls – there was plenty of fungi to be found, and like the day before, we left when it started to rain heavily. Continue reading →

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